Spring-motor.



SPRING MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1910.

W. H. BULLER, E. GLASSBROOK & H. N. HANGHETT.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

2 SHEET8-SHEET 1.

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W. H. BULLER, E. GLASSBROOK & H. N. HANGHBTT.

SPRING MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1910.

Patent ed Se t. 5, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TTNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

WILLIAM H. BULLER, ERNEST GLASSBR-OOK, AND HARRY N, HANCHETT, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

SPRING-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. BUL- Lnn, ERNEST GLAssBnooK, and HARRY N. HANOi-IETT, citizens of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-lilotors; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in spring-motors.

Une object of the invention is to provide a spring motor to assist in the operation of various machines and which is provided with means whereby the spring will be wound by a moving part of the machine.

Another object is to provide means whereby the operating parts of the motor may be quickly shifted to throw the same into and out of gear with the main drive shaft and to simultaneously release and lock said shaft and means to throw the spring winding mechanism into and out of gear.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter be described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a spring motor constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the parts in inoperative and locked position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts released and shifted to the position wherein the power of the spring is ap plied to the machine to which the motor is connected. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 14 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 denotes a supporting frame in which is revolubly mounted a power shaft 2 to which is connected the inner end of a spring 3, the outer endof which is connected to a cross bar 1 of the supporting frame as shown. On the shaft 2, adjacent one side of the frame 1, is fixedly mounted a driving gear 5, and on the opposite end of said shaft is fixedly mounted a sprocket gear 6. Revolubly mounted in the frame below the shaft 2, is a counter shaft 7 on which is fixedly mounted a spur gear pinion 8 which meshes with the gear 5 on the power shaft 2. On the shaft 7 is also loosely mounted a power transmitting gear 9 on one side of which -is pivotally mounted a pawl 10 which is adapted to engage a ratchet gear 11 fixedly mounted on the counter shaft 7, whereby when said shaft is turned in one direction by the gears 5 and 8, the gear 9 will be driven and when the shaft 7 is turned in the opposite direction, the. pawl 10 will play loosely over the teeth of the ratchet gear and thus cause the gear 9 to remains idle on said shaft 7.

Journaled in the frame 1 at one side of the countershaft is a clutch shaft 12 on which is fixedly mounted a spur gear pinion 13 which meshes with the gear 9 whereby the movement of said gear is imparted to the shaft 12. On the shaft 12 is also loosely mounted beveled power transmitting gears 14 and 15, the inner sides of which are provided with an annular series of recesses, said recessed sides forming clutch surfaces with which are adapted to be engaged a double clutch 16. The clutch 16 is slidably keyed to the shaft 12 and is provided on its opposite ends with clutch pins 17 and 18 adapted to engage the recessed or clutch faces of the beveled gears 14 and 15, respectively, thereby locking one or the other of said gears to the shaft 12. The gears 14: and 15 mesh with a bevel gear 19 fixed on the end of the drive shaft 20 of the machine to which the motor is connected.

The clutch 16 is shifted into and out of engagement with the gears 11 and 15 and to an inoperative position between said gears, by a suitable clutch shifting mechanism comprising a frame 21 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 7 and is provided with a bifurcated arm 22 which loosely engages an annular groove in the clutch 16.

Connected to the frame 21 is a laterally projecting shifting rod 23, the outer end of which extends through one side of the frame and is provided with the knob or operating handle 24. WVhen the rod 23 is pushed inwardly to its full extent the clutch will be shifted into engagement with the gear 14, thus locking the same to the shaft 12 whereby motion of said shaft will be im parted by the gear 14 to the drive gear 19 on the shaft 20. When the rod 23 is pulled outwardly to its full extent the clutch 16 will be brought into engagement with the beveled gear 15, whereby said gear will be locked to the shaft, thus permitting the motion of the shaft 20 and the gear 19 to be imparted to the shaft 12 whereby to turn the same in the opposite direction for the purpose of winding up the spring 8 by means of suitable connections hereinafter described.

On the clutch shifting frame 21 is pivotally mounted a pawl 25 which, when the shifting frame is pushed inwardly to engage the clutch 16 with the gear 14 will engage the teeth of a stop gear 26 fixed on the shaft 7 thereby preventing a retrograde movement of said shaft while the parts are in operative position for applying the power of the spring to the machine to whlch the motor is connected. When the clutch shifting frame is moved to a posit-ion wherein the clutch is disposed between the gears 14: and 15 and is not in engagement with either of said gears, the shaft 7 will be locked against movement under the influence of the spring by a fixed pawl or stop lug 27 which is formed on the inner portion of the shifting rod 23 as shown.

In order to utilize the shaft 20 for the purpose of rewinding the spring 3, we provide a sprocket gear pinion 28 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 12 and is connected by a sprocket chain 29 tothe sprocket gear 6 on the shaft 2. Pivotally mounted on one side of the sprocket pinion 28 is a pawl 30 which is adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet gear 31 fixedly mounted on the shaft 12 whereby when said shaft 12 is driven in the proper direction by the shaft 20 through the beveled gears 19 and 15, the movement of the shaft will be imparted to the sprocket pinion 28 and thence through the chain 29 to the sprocket gear 6 and shaft 2 thereby turning the latter in the proper direction for winding the spring.

Our improved motor will be found very efiicient for overcoming the labor in various operations which are now generally performed manually. For example, it may be utilized for cranking automobiles. The first time the machine is cranked to start the engine, the rod 23 will be shifted to bring the clutch 16 into engagement with the gear 15 so that the shaft 20 (which in this instance would be the crank shaft ofthe engine) will actuate the sprocket gearing to wind the spring. Should the engine start before the spring is fully wound, the shaft may be permitted to continue the operation of the sprocket gearing until the spring is wound whereupon the shifting rod will be pushed inward to disengage the clutch from both bevel gears'and to bring the stop 27 into engagement with the wheel 26 to prevent unwinding of the spring. The power of the spring will thus be stored for use in again starting the engine after it has been stopped and it will frequently be found strong enough to supplant and not merely supplement the manual cranking. The device may also be advantageously applied to bicycles permitting the rider while coasting on a down grade, to store up energy to be subsequently used as assistance in overcoming difficulties of an upgrade.

Various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

hat we claim is:

1. In a motor of the character described, a power shaft, a power spring operatively connected thereto, a clutch shaft, a train of gears to operatively connect said power shaft with said clutch shaft, power transmitting gears loosely mounted on said clutch shaft, a machine driving shaft connected to said power transmitting gears, a clutch adapted to be shifted to connect one of said power transmitting gears to said clutch shaft whereby the power of the spring is applied to the machine drive shaft and means whereby the power of said shaftmay be applied through the other power transmitting gear for re-winding the spring.

2. In a motor of the character described, a power shaft, a power spring operatively connected thereto, a clutch shaft, a train of power transmitting gears to operatively connect said power shaft with said clutch shaft, gears loosely mounted on said clutch shaft, a machine drive shaft geared to said loosely mounted gears, a clutch arranged on said clutch shaft and adapted tov operatively connect either of the loosely mounted gears with said shaft, a clutch shifting mechanism, and means whereby said mechanism is adapted to lock the machine against operation when the clutch is shifted to an inoperative position. i 7

3. In a spring motor, a power shaft, a

power spring operatively connected thereto,

a drive gear fixed on said shaft, a counter shaft, a gear pinion fixedly mounted thereon andmeshing with said drive gear, a power transmitting gear loosely mounted on said counter shaft and having a pawl and ratchet connect-ion therewith whereby said gear is revolved when the shaft is turned in one direction, a clutch shaft, a spur gear pinion fixedly mounted thereon and having an operative engagement with said power transmitting gear, a pair of beveled power transmitting gears loosely mounted on said clutch shaft, a machine drive shaft having a bevel gear connection with both said power transmitting gears, a clutch adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with said power transmitting gears to lock either to the clutch shaft, a sprocket gear fixedly mounted on said power shaft, a sprocket gear pinion having a pawl and ratchet connection with said clutch shaft, and a sprocket chain to connect said pinion with the sprocket gear on said power shaft.

4. In a spring motor, a supporting frame, a power shaft revolubly mounted therein, a power spring arranged on and connected to said shaft, a counter shaft geared to said power shaft, a clutch shaft connected to said counter shaft whereby the power of the spring is applied to said clutch shaft, power transmitting gears loosely mounted on said clutch shaft, a machine drive shaft operatively connected to said power transmitting gears, a clutch adapted to operatively connect either of said gears with said clutch shaft whereby the power of said shaft may be applied to said machine drive shaft or the power of said drive shaft applied to the clutch shaft, means whereby the power of said machine drive shaft when applied to the clutch shaft is transferred to said power shaft to re-wind the spring thereon, a clutch shifting frame, a clutch shifting rod connected to said frame, a stop gear fixed on said counter shaft, a pawl carried by said clutch shifting frame and adapted to be engaged with said stop gear to hold said counter shaft against retrograde movement, and a locking lug carried by said clutch operatin rod and adapted to be engaged with sai stop gear to lock the machine against operation.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BULLER. ERNEST GLASSBROOK. HARRY N. HANOHETT.

Witnesses:

FRED J. BEAMAN, HARRY W. GOULD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentsv Washington, D. G. 

